Givet (Ardennes): per fess gules on a saltire or a rifle
argent, and azure on a point vert three towers argent, the ones at dexter
and sinister ported sable.

Croix de guerre 1914-18.

Mézières (Ardennes): Gules the capital letter
M beneath two rakes or.

The two rakes come from the arms of the counts of Rethel, which have
three. They appear on a 13th c. seal.

Rethel (Ardennes): gules three rakes or.

Arms of the counts of Rethel.

Rocroi (Ardennes): Azure three roses argent.

Sedan (Ardennes): argent on a point a tree vert and in front
a boar passant sable.

Foix (Ariège):
or three pallets gules.

Mirepoix (Ariège): Gules a fish or on a chief azure
three stars of the second.

Pamiers (Ariège): quarterly of six in three rows:
gules a lion argent, azure a fleur-de-lys or, barry of six argent and gules,
gules a double-headed eagle argent, gules a castle argent and or on a mount
a tree vert.

Nogent-sur-Seine (Aube): Azure a fess argent fimbriated potent
counter-potent or betwen a sun in his glory in chief and three fleurs-de-lys
in base of the last.

Arms in DHP. The fess recalls the arms of Champagne.

Carcassone (Aude):
Azure a city gate with two towers and conical roofs argent, between
the towers an escutcheon of France.

An eagle appears on the reverse of a 1228 seal, with the shield of
France on the obverse.

Alet-les-Bains (Aude): azure a long cross pometty (i.e. with
two knobs at the ends) or between two wings around the long end and clasped
by two hands in point below the wings argent, in chief two stars of five
points of the second.

Motto: ab ira leonis, urbs Arelatensis hostibus hostis et ensis,
freed from the rage of the lion the city of Arles will be an army and a
sword to its enemies. The lion appears passant guardant on medieval seals,
first in 1203.

Aubagne (Bouches-du-Rhône): Azure, a sea beneath the
letters A V interlaced, all argent.

Martigues (Bouches-du-Rhône): Gules over a sea a tower
embattled thereon three hammers between two keys all argent.

Canting arms ("marteau" = hammer).

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône): Or
four pallets gules on a chief France modern.

Tarascon (Bouches-du-Rhône): Azure a six-legged dragon
with webbed feet or swallowing a man argent, on a chief gules a castle
with three towers argent masoned sable, port open.

The castle and the monster beneath it on a 1231 seal. The "tarasque",
an amphibious monster is an allusion to a local legend. Motto: concordia
felix.

Dijon (Côte-d'Or):
Gules on a chief per pale Burgundy ancient and modern.

The city's arms were originally gules plain; the chief was granted
by the duke of Burgundy in 1391 (Dijon was his capital), and appears on
a 15th c. seal. The cross of the Legion of Honor, for heroic resistance
in 1870-71, was placed on the field by decree of May 18, 1899, but it was
removed and placed under the shield by the Mayor in 1962.

Auxonne (Côte-d'Or): per pale, per fess Burgyndy ancient
and modern and azure, a cross anchory argent.

Besançon
(Doubs): or a double-headed eagle displayed sable holding in each claw
an antique column gules.

On a seal of 1441 (the eagle is one-headed). The columns appear as
early as 1276, alluding to the city's Roman ruins; the eagle to the city's
status as free Imperial city since 1043. It became French in 1677.

Montbéliard (Doubs): Gules on a cross argent a star
azure.

Ornans (Doubs): Gules a tower argent on a chief azure a billety
and a lion or.

Chief of Franche-Comté.

Pontarlier (Doubs): Gules a tower argent, ports, windows
and masoned sable, joined to the sinsiter flank by a bridge of three arches
of the same.

Valence (Drôme):
Gules on a cross argent a tower azure.

Crest (Drôme):

Die (Drôme): Gules a castle triple-towered or.

Montélimar (Drôme): Gules an orb azure the band
argent fimbriated or, crossed of the last.

violating

Nyons (Drôme): Argent a castle with three towers gules,
the middle tower higher than the others, windows, port and masoned sable.

Saint-Vallier (Drôme): Quarterly 1 and 4 or a dolphin
argent, 2 azure six plates 3, 2 and 1 and a chief or, and 3 azure a horse's
head erased on a chief gules three crosses argent.

Étampes (Essonne): Gules a a tower
embattled with two turrets or, the port sable, bearing above its port an
escutcheon of France debruised by a cotice pery gules bearing three lions
argent.

Arms in DHP.

Corbeil (Essonne): Azure on a heart gules a fleur-de-lys
or.

Canting arms (Cor= heart in Latin).

Évry (Essonne):

Évreux
(Eure): France a bend gobony argent and gules.

Arms of the counts of Évreux. An eagle appears on a 1249 seal.

Igny
(Essonne): Argent on an escutcheon azure between four lions gules,
a fess or between two martlets argent and two escallops or.

Chartres (Eure-et-Loir):
Gules three coins of the ancient counts of Chartres argent, on a chief
France modern.

The coins bear a fleur-de-lys at sinister, an inverted gamma with two
ellipses under the horizontal bar, and four vertical dots or a vertical
indented line at dexter. This design can be seen on 12th c. coins from
Chartres.

Châteaudun (Eure-et-Loir): Gules three crescents argent,
on a chief Azure a cross of the Legion of Honor proper.

A 14th c. seal shows a shield with three pales vair and a chief plain.
The cross commemorates the heroic defense of the city in 1870, and was
awarded on Oct 3, 1877.

Dreux (Eure-et-Loir): Chequy azure and or.

Arms of the counts of Dreux.

Nogent-le-Rotrou (Eure-et-Loir): Azure a lion argent between
two fleurs-de-lys or.

Quimper (Finistère):
Azure a ram passant argent and a chief ermine.

The ram is a canting device on the county of Cornouaille ("corne"
horn and "ouaille" = sheep). The chief recalls Brittany.

Brest (Finistère): per pale dimidiated France and
Brittany. Hanging from the shield, from dexter to sinister the Croix
de Guerre 1939-45, the Legion of Honor and the cross of the Order of the
Liberation.

Châteaulin (Finistère): per pale dimidiated
France and azure a semy of ermine-spots sable, in chief a fish or.

Concarneau (Finistère): ermine three battle-axes gules
in pale.

Landerneau (Finistère): Azure a ship or, flying a
banner of Rohan (gules nine mascles or in three rows of three), a banner
of Brittany (ermine plain), and a banner of Léon (or a lion sable).

Landerneau was the capital of the county of Léon in the Rohan
family, who were related to the dukes of Brittany.

Nîmes (Gard):
Gules on a mount a palm tree and a crocodile chained thereto all vert,
between the words COL and NEM or.

Arms taken from Roman coinage of the city (Colonia Nemausis).

Alais, al. Alès (Gard): gules a sinister wing argent.

On a seal of 1303. Canting arms ("aile" = wing).

Bagnols-sur-Ceuze (Gard): Azure three firkins or tubs ( tinettes,
cuvettes) each suspended from a ring by three ribbons, all or; on a chief
vert three fleurs-de-lys of the second..

Beaucaire (Gard): quarterly or and gules.

On an 18th c. seal with the collar of the Order of Saint-Michel.

Pont-Saint-Esprit (Gard): Gules over water in base a bridge
of four arches argent masoned sable thereon a cross or between two towers
with conical roofs of the second, over the cross a dove displayed of the
second.

On an 18th c. seal.

Saint-Hyppolyte-du-Fort (Gard): Azure on a mount a castle
with two towers argent masoned and the port sable, the tower at dexter
higher than the other.

Bordeaux (Gironde):
Gules on a sea azure a crescent argent, over it a city gate with two
towers and an arch over the gate from which a bell hangs, of the second,
beneath a lion passant guardant or, on a chief France ancient.

The distinctive gate appears on a 1297 seal, three lions on a 1386
seal. The lion alludes to the arms of Guyenne, the crescent to a bend in
the river Garonne where the city is located. The gate is one of the landmarks
of the city.

Bazas (Gironde): Gules a city gate, on its battlements Saint
John Baptist and his executioner about to behead him, all or.

Blaye (Gironde): Azure on a sea a castle with two towers
argent beneath a fleur-de-lys or.

Medieval seals show a knight on horse with arms (barry of a tincture
and ermine in 1226, France in 1303). Bél;ziers was captured in 1209
and given to Simon de Montfort, whose son ceded it to the French king.

Capestang (Hérault): per pale argent an eagle standing
on one leg, head contourné sable, and argent a lion gules.

An eagle and a lion passant guardant crowned appear on a 1303 seal.

Cette (Hérault): Azure a whale embowed counterembowed
spouting water from its nose argent.

The city was created in 1666. The arms are canting in Latin ("cete"
= whale).

Clermont-Lodève (Hérault): argent a fess gules
between two ermine spots sable and a torteau, on a chief azure two fleurs-de-lys
or.

On a seal of 1760.

Lodève (Hérault): Azure a cross between a star
of six points, a crescent, a letter L and a letter D all or.

Lunel (Hérault): Azure a crescent or.

Canting arms ("lune" = moon).

Mèze (Hérault): Azure a paschal lamb between
three stars all argent.

Pézenas (Hérault): Argent three bars gules
on a canton in dexter chief or a dolphin azure, on a chief France modern.

Saint-Pons (Hérault): Argent a tree vert between the
letters S and P or.

The tree appears on three stairs on a 1303 seal.

Rennes (Ille-Et-Vilaine):
pally of six argent and sable on a chief ermine.

Redon (Ille-et-Vilaine): Azure on a sea a ship argent and
a chief ermine.

Saint-Malo (Ille-et-Vilaine): Gules five pallets fitchy issuant
from base fretted with three barrulets or, nailed argent, thereon an ermine
courant of the last, from its collar a mantle flowing ermine.

Another town in Brittany using the ducal badge of the ermine as a charge.
The arms were adopted in 1615. Ducal coronet, two palms surrounding the
shield. Motto: semper fidelis.

Saint-Servan (Ille-et-Vilaine): Azure ona sea argent a lymphad
of the same sail or, sailing toward a tower at sinister sable, a chief
ermine.

Vitré (Ille-et-Vilaine): Gules a lion beneath a crown
argent.

Châteauroux
(Indre): Azure a castle with two towers argent, a roof over the central
part and conical roofs on the towers gules.

Canting arms (red castle).

Buzançais (Indre): Gules three trefoils argent.

Issoudun (Indre): Azure a pairle between three fleurs-de-lys
or.

La Châtre (Indre): vert three tents argent lined gules.

An 18th c. version has: gules a cross anchory vair, on a chief France
modern.

Levroux (Indre): Gules on a point gules (sic) a castle with
two drawbridges extending to the flanks argent, on a chief France modern.

Tours (Indre-et-Loire):
Sable three towers argent window and port sable and a Croix de Guerre
1939-45 proper in the center point, on a chief France.=

Amboise (Indre-et-Loire): or three pallets gules, on a chief
France modern.

Châteaurenault (Indre-et-Loire): Azure a castle with
three towers in perspective.

Chinon (Indre-et-Loire): Azure three castles 2 and 1 between
three fleurs-de-lys 1 and 2.

Motto: petite ville, grand renom (used since the 15th c.).

Langeais (Indre-et-Loire): Or a seagull argent holding in
its beak a fish of the first, on a chief sable three towers argent with
ports gules. Motto: Alae gaviae vicus.

The first and second quarters are the arms of the counts of Chalons
and Orange respectively. The last two quarters recall the town's salt-mining.

Dôle (Jura): per fess, azure on a billety a lion issuant
or, and Gules a sun radiant or.

The capital of Franche-Comté for a long time, the upper arms
are those of the province.

Morez (Jura): Or from a fess wavy in base issuant a cog-wheel
thereon a pine tree, all argent.

Probably a 19th c. invention for this industrial town.

Poligny (Jura): Argent on a chief azure billety a lion or.

The chief bears the arms of Franche-Comté.

Saint-Claude (Jura): Or a pine tree vert on a chief azure
a crescent argent.

Salins (Jura): Or a bend gules.

Mont-de-Marsan
(Landes): Azure two keys erect the wards turned towards each other argent.

A key on a seal of 1312.

Arcachon (Landes):

the arms are a 19th c. monstrosity.

Saint-Sever (Landes): per pale dimidiated azure three fleur-de-lys
or and gules nine ermine spots in three rows of three argent.

Dax (Landes): Azure on a sea-shore a tower argent beneath
a fleur-de-lys or and upheld by a lion of the last.

Gabarret (Landes):

a late-14th c. seal shows a lion holding a sword.

Geaune (Landes):

Blois (Loir-et-Cher):
Azure a fleur-de-lys or.

Supporters: a porcupine and a wolf. Louis XII, whose badge was the
porcupine, granted the fleur-de-lys in 1492. Supposedly, the wolf (bleiz
in Celtic) is a canting device.

Vendôme (Loir-et-Cher): On argent and a chief gules
a lion azure, armed, langued and crowned or.

Violates the tinctures rule.

Saint-Étienne
(Loire): Azure two palms per saltire between a royal crown in chief
or and three crosslets pommy argent.

Bourg-Argental (Loire): Gules a lion contourné or.

Montbrison (Loire): Azure on a mountain a castle with one
tower argent, the port gules, in chief three fleurs-de-lys or.

Perreux (Loire): Quarterly, 1. gules a bugle horn argent
on a chief azure two fleurs-de-lys or, 2 sable a baronial coronet or in
base three mullets per fess, 3 azure over a river a bridge of three arches
argent, 4 gules a chain of three links per pale, the middle link broken,
argent.

Roanne (Loire): Azure a crescent argent, hanging from a ribbon
gules in chief a cross of the Legion of Honor proper.

Motto: crescam et lucebo. Legion of Honor awarded in 1864 for
its resistance in 1815.

Saint-Nazaire (Loire-Atl): Azure on a sea argent an antique
ship proper, on its sail a key argent, on a chief ermine a key argent.

Orléans
(Loiret): Gules three coeurs-de-lys argent, on a chief France modern.
Hanging from the shield the Croix de Guerre 1939-45 with palm. Motto: "hoc
vernant lilia corde" (the lilies bloom from this heart).

The coeur-de-lis is today depicted as a flower, whose three petals
point to dexter, sinister and base and without stem (a trefoil's petals
point dexter, sinister and chief, and it has a stem). The petals are pointed.
It seems that in previous centuries they looked like either hearts inflamed,
or hearts with flowers issuant. Both the name of the charge and the motto
allude to Orléans' special place in French history: it became part
of the lands of the counts of Paris in the 9th century, before they became
kings of France in 987 with Hugues Capet. It was therefore the second capital
of France until the 13th century.

Beaugency (Loiret): barry of six or and azure, a semy of
fleurs-de-lys counterchanged sable and argent.

Briare (Loiret): Gules three bars wavy argent.

Probably recalls the canal linking the Loing and the Loire, completed
in 1642.

Gien (Loiret): Azure a chief gules over all a castle argent.

La Ferté-Saint-Aubin (Loiret):

a 15th c. seal shows a barry and a lion and label.

Montargis (Loiret): Azure on a semy-de-lys the letter M above
the letters L and F and beneath a royal crown, all or.

Pithiviers (Loiret): Azure three thistles or, on a chief
gules a fleur-de-lys or.

Thistles were used to comb wool.

Cahors (Lot):
Gules on a river a bridge with five towers and conical roofs all argent,
over each tower a fleur-de-lys or.

The arms show the bridge of Valentré, the fleurs-de-lys were
granted by Henri IV.

Sainte-Menehould (Marne): Azure a castle with two towers
and a dungeon embattled within argent masoned sable, the portcullis raised,
within the port sable a lion issuant holding a sword or, on each tower
a roof or, thereon and on the dungeon each a dove essorant of the second.

Vitry-le-François (Marne): Azure a salamander or flaming
gules beneatha crown of the second, in chief two letters F each crowned
of the second.

The town was founded in 1545 by François I whose badge was the
salamander.

Évron (Mayenne): Quarterly, 1 and
4 argent fretty sable on a chief or three mullets pierced of the second,
2 and 3 or a lion azure crowned argent.

Château-Gontier (Mayenne): Azure a castle with two
towers, a roof over the central part and conical roofs over the towers,
all or, on a chief gules two keys of the second per pale, wards in point.

Craon (Mayenne): Gules a saltire between four lozenges argent.

A lozengy appears on a 1355 seal.

Ernée (Mayenne): Gules three whistles or.

Mayenne (Mayenne): gules six escutcheons or 3, 2 and 1.

Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle):
argent a thistle vert flowered gules, on a chief the arms of Lorraine.

In some versions the arms of Lorraine are just or on a bend gules
three eagles per bend argent, in others it is the grand coat. The chief
was granted by Charles III of Lorraine in 1576 to commemorate the resistance
to Charles of Burgundy in 1477.

Baccarat (Meurthe-et-Moselle): per fess gules an arm embowed
armed argent holding a sword per pale or between two bezants, and azure
and a point argent a chalice of the second over all.

Auray (Morbihan): gules an ermine passant proper with a mantle
floating from its neck or [ermine], on a chief France modern.

The ermine recalls the arms of Brittany (ermine plain).

Hennebont (Morbihan): Azure on a sea a ship with three masts
argent, the sails ermine, the banners bearing gules a cross argent.

Lorient (Morbihan): Gules on a sea vert a ship with three
masts sails unfurled argent, in dexter a sun or rising behind a mountain
of the second, a canton ermine in dexter chief, a chief azure bezanty.

The port of Lorient (port of the Orient) was founded to serve as main
port for the Indies Company, and the arms recall this (note the sun rising
in the orient). The chief probably alludes to the profits which failed
to materialize.

Ploërmel (Morbihan): ermine a lion gules holding a banner
azure .

Pontivy (Morbihan): Azure a triangular bridge of three arches
argent masoned sable, between two mascles of the second in chief and an
ermine spot sable in base.

Pontivy was the capital of the duchy of Rohan, to which the mascles
allude. The ermine spot recalls the arms of Brittany.

Metz (Moselle):
per pale argent and sable.

Canting arms of sorts: the name of the Gallic people living in the
area was the Mediomatrices, the division per pale recalling the Latin "medium".

Maroilles (Nord): Argent on a crozier or
a stag's head caboshed gules.

Maubeuge (Nord): Or four lions 1 and 4 sable, 2 and 3 gules,
and in chief an eagle of the second, armed beaked and langued gules, over
all a crozier per bend argent.

On a seal of 1323. Croix de guerre 1914-18.

Orchies (Nord): Argent a lion sable in dexter chief a crosslet
patty gules, all within a chain in orle of the last.

The lion and the cross on a seal of 1245. Croix de guerre 1914-18.

Roubaix (Nord): per pale ermine a chief gules and azure,
a weaver's implement between a five-pointed star in chief and a shuttle
fessways in base or, in dexter and sinister chief two bobbins argent,
all within a bordure invected of the second.

Roubaix was a major textile center since the mid-15th c.

Saint-Amand-les-Eaux (Nord): Vert a sword argent hilted or
between two fleurs-de-lys of the last.

Seclin (Nord): Purpure a fess argent, in chief on an escutcheon
of the second a lion sable.

Solesmes (Nord): Gules three crescents argent.

aCroix de guerre 1914-18.

Steenvorde (Nord): Or a lion crowned sable langued gules.

Valenciennes (Nord): Gules a lion or armed and langued azure
. Supporters: two
swans. A comital coronet. The cross of the Legion of Honor hangs from the
shield, and the motto is "Valenciennes a bien mérité
de la Patrie".

A seal of 1246 shows the city flying a banner with a lion. The Legion
of Honor was granted in in memory of its resistance to the Austrians in
1793.

Vieux-Condé (Nord): Argent on a fess gules a barrulet
wavy of the field.

Wasquehall (Nord): chequy argent on each pieve a trefoil sable
and sable .

Sées (Orne): Gules on a point two saints holding palms
or, on a chief France modern.

Alençon (Orne):

Étaples (Pas-de-Calais): Azure three
escallops argent.

The three escallops appear on a seal of 1410.

Arras (Pas-de-Calais): Gules
a lion or, bearing on its shoulder a shield of Artois (France ancient on
each pendant of a label gules three castles or).

On a seal of 1361, although the seals also use rats as canting devices.
The arms of Artois bear the mark of cadency of Robert d'Artois, whose mother
Blanche of Castile is recalled by the castles. Arras is the capital of
Artois.

Medieval seals show either 5 bends (1270) or a label on a lion (1300).

Bapaume (Pas-de-Calais): Azure three hands dexter argent.

The hand appears of 1268. Canting arms ("paume" is palm of
the hand).

Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais): or three torteaux, on an
escutcheon gules a swan argent wings expanded.

The swan is reminiscent of Godefroy de Bouillon, count of Boulogne;
while the three torteaux are the arms of the counts of Boulogne. The swan
appears on a seal of 1396 (both as charge on an escutcheon on the reverse,
and shown pulling a boat in which a knight bearing a cross on his shield
and his horse are standing on the obverse).

Calais (Pas-de-Calais): Gules an inescutcheon azure bearing
a crescent beneath a fleur-de-lys or, crowned with a royal crown argent,
between two crosses Lorraine and above a plate bearing a cross between
four crosslets or.

Arms granted in 1558. The plate with the arms of Jerusalem recalls
Godefroy de Bouillon, count of Boulogne, to which Calais belonged. The
crosses Lorraine recall the capture of the town from the English by the
duc de Guise in 1558, the crescent and fleur-de-lys recall Henri II in
whose reign it occurred. Calais' medieval seals show other figures.

Carvin (Pas-de-Calais): Azure seven torteaux 3, 3 and 1,
a chief or.

Desvres (Pas-de-Calais): Or a castle beneath a gonfalon gules
between three fleur-de-lys argent.

Two lions as supporters and a swan as crest. The gonfanon appears on
a seal of 1405.

Guînes (Pas-de-Calais): vair on a chief France modern.

Arms of Vair plain appear on a seal of 1282.

Hesdin (Pas-de-Calais): : Per pale argent and gules, in
>chief, two mullets counterchanged.

A 14th c. seal has a fleur-de-lys between four mullets.

Houdain (Pas-de-Calais):

seals.

Lens (Pas-de-Calais): Gules a castle and in dexter and sinister
chief two fleurs-de-lys argent.

The castle on a 1303 seal, with the fleurs-de-lys on a 1444 seal.

Liévin (Pas-de-Calais): Barry of eight argent and gules.

Croix de Guerre 1914-18.

Lillers (Pas-de-Calais): Gules three chevrons or.

Montreuil (Pas-de-Calais): barry of six or and azure, on
a chief France modern.

Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais): Gules a cross patriarchal argent.

The cross appears on a 1209 seal.

Saint-Pol (Pas-de-Calais): Gules three pales vair on a chief
or a label azure.

Billom (Puy-de-Dôme): Azure a castle with two towers
and in chief three fleurs-de-lys or.

Issoire (Puy-de-Dôme): Azure a pairle couped beneath
a crown or, the lower arm of the pairle bent to dexter.

Riom (Puy-de-Dôme): Azure a letter R beneath two fleurs-de-lys
or.

A 1283 seal has a fleur-de-lys.

Thiers (Puy-de-Dôme): Gules on a sea a ship argent.

Bayonne (Pyrénées-Atl.): Gules
on a sea a tower argent supported by two lions or each standing in front
of a tree vert, on a chief azure a fleur-de-lys or.

A lion passant guardant before an oak tree appears on a 1291 seal.

Biarritz (Pyrénées-Atl): Azure, on a sea a
boat with three oarsmen, one man holding the rudder and one man ready to
harpoon a whale, all argent; on a chief or two escallops argent, in sinister
chief on a canton azure a star argent.

The scene with the fishermen and the whale on a seal of 1351. Biarritz
was famed for its whalers. It may well be that the seal was usedas a model
for the arms in the 19th century.

Hasparren (Pyrénées-Atl): Azure on a cross
moline or a heart gules.

Mauléon (Pyrénées-Atl): Gules a lion
or on a chief France modern.

Oloron-Sainte-Marie (Pyrénées-Atl): Azure a
cow gules gorged and belled of the field beneath a cross pommety of the
second.

violating

Orthez (Pyrénées-Atl): Gules a bridge of four
arches thereon a tower with conical roof all argent.

The bridge is a 14th c. construction.

Pau (Pyrénées-Atl): =Azure three park palings
inverted joined by a fess couped, between the palings two cows affrontes
crowned or, above the fess a peacock in his pride of the last, on a chief
or a tortoise shell proper beneath a royal crown proper and between the
letter H in dexter and the letters IV in sinister sable.

Canting arms (twice): the palings recall the Latin name Palum and the
peacock recalls the local name Pâou. The oxen recall the arms of
Béarn. The tortoise shell, which served as Henri IV's cradle after
his birth in that city in 1559, was added in 1816. Motto: urbis palladium
et gentis

Céret (Pyrénées-Or.):
Azure, the letters CERET beneath three fleurs-de-lys or and above two
keys per saltire argent.

Perpignan (Pyrénées-Or):
Gules a fleur-de-lys or between two towers argent.

Another version: on a lozenge shield, or four pallets gules over
all Saint John Baptist or. The arms of Aragon are a concession of Martin
in 1400.

Prades (Pyrénées-Or): Azure a cross or.

Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin):
Argent a bend gules.

Haguenau (Bas-Rhin): Azure a cinquefoil argent pierced gules.

On a seal of 1332.

Saverne (Bas-Rhin):

A unicorn saliant on a 1405 seal.

Colmar (Haut-Rhin): per pale
gules and vert a mace per bend sinister or.

Three maces, probably a canting device ("Kolben" = mace in
German, cf. Columbaria the Latin name of the city) appear on a 1214 seal.
The arms in a 15th c. stained-glass window show the mace per bend on argent.
The present form dates from the late 17th c. D'Hozier compilation, where
the charge is called a spur-rowel with its rod. Colmar received the Croix
de Guerre 1914-18 in 1922 and the Croix de Guerre 1939-45 in 1948 (AHR).

Altkirch (Haut-Rhin): azure on a mount vert
a church flanked at dexter with a steeple argent with roof gules, the windows
of the first, surmounted by a cross or.

Canting arms ("Altkirch" = old church in German). On a seal
of 1293. The tinctures are set in the D'Hozier compilation of the late
17th c. Croix de Guerre 1914-18 awarded in 1921 (AHR).

Bouxwiller (Haut-Rhin):

an eagle and a lion on a seal of 1487.

Brisach (Haut-Rhin): gules a mount of six hillocks argent,
on a chief France modern.

(AHR)

Brumath (Haut-Rhin):

on a seal of 1466, an arm armed issuant from a cloud, holding a banner
per pale with a star in dexter.

Ensisheim (Haut-Rhin): Gules a fess argent.

On a 1481 seal, with a helmet and crest. The Emperor Ferdinand I authorized
the city to use the arms but without helm or crest (1558). Arms confirmed
by D'Hozier in 1697 (AHR).

Ferrette (Haut-Rhin): Azure two fishes ("bars")
addorsed argent.

Differenced arms of the counts of Ferrette (whose field was gules).
In D'Hozier (AHR).

A seal of 1482 has an escutcheon with a greyhound passant, arms of
the abbey of Murbach to which it belonged. The bonnet replaced it in the
16th c. Awarded the Croix de Guerre 1914-18 in 1921 (AHR).

Kaysersberg (Haut-Rhin): per pale, 1. per pale gules and
azure on a mount of five hillocks vert a tower with three battlements and
surrounded by a wall embattled argent masoned sable; 2. argent a hunting
pouch sable buckled of the first.

The city's arms were originally gules a hunting pouch sable buckled
or (on a 15th c. stained-glass window), but a 1278 seal shows the fortress.
The fortress became the city arms in the late 17th c. and both were impaled
in the 19th c., confirmed by a German grant of 1906. Croix de Guerre 1939-45
(AHR).

Canting arms ("Mulhaus" = house of the mill in German). The
wheel appears with an eagle on it on a seal of the 13th c. The eagle is
not present in the 14th c. Croix de Guerre 1914-18 in 1921 and Croix de
Guerre 1939-45 in 1948 (AHR).

Munster (Haut-Rhin): Argent a church portal between two towers
with pyramidal roofs, all three surmounted by a cross each, all gules.

On a 1339 seal. Canting arms ("Münster" = monastery
in German) (AHR).

Thann (Haut-Rhin):

On a 1469 seal, per pale a fess and a pine tree on a mount (canting
arms, "Tannenbaum" = pine tree in German) (AHR).

Cernay (Haut-Rhin): Gules a tower with conical roof argent
masoned sable between two fishes ("bars") addorsed of the second.

On a 1299 seal. The bars are taken from the arms of the counts of Ferrette,
a branch of the house of Bar, who were lords of the city. Croix de Guerre
1914-18 (in 1921) and Croix de Guerre 1939-45 (in 1952) (AHR).

Canting arms. The lion appears among other figures on a 1320 seal.
Motto: avant, avant lion le melhor. In 1816 a sword was added held
by the lion, in commemoration of the siege of 1793. Legion of Honor in
1949.

Givors (Rhône): gules three flies proper.

Tarare (Rhône): Or a cross anchory gules between four
lozenges sable.

Thizy (Rhône): Or on a chevron azure a mascle argent.

Villefranche-sur-Saône (Rhône): Gules a city
gate joined to dexter with a tower argent, masoned, port and windows sable,
on a chief azure three fleurs-de-lys or, on each a bendlet gules.

Autun (Saône-et-Loire): Argent a lion gules, on a chief
bendy of six azure and or a bordure gules (Burgundy ancient).

Motto: Roma celtica, soror et aemula Romae.

Chalon-sur-Saône (Saône-et-Loire): Azure three
rings or, on a point gules a cross of the Legion of Honor proper.

The three rings appear on a 14th c. seal. The cross was conferred by
a Imperial decree of May 22 1815, confirmed in 1831, to commemorate the
city's resistance during the invasion of France in 1814. It was the first
city to receive this honor. The city also bears the Croix de Guerre hanging
from the shield.

Charolles (Saône-et-Loire): Gules a lion or gardant
sinister on a chief azure a fleur-de-lys of the second.

Capital of the county of Charollais.

Cluny (Saône-et-Loire): Azure two keys in pale interlaced
in the rings or.

Site of the famous Benedictine abbey, which was under the special protection
and favor of the Popes.

Paray-le-Monial (Saône-et-Loire): or a peacock in its
pride azure,l the dexter leg raised.

Tournus (Saône-et-Loire): Gules a castle of three towers
argent port and masoned sable, hanging from the chief a cross of the Legion
of Honor proper, on a chief France modern.

The Legion of Honor was granted by Napoleon for the town's resistance
to the Austrians in 1814.

Le Mans (Sarthe):
Gules on a cross or a key per pale sable between four candlesticks argent
and a chief France modern, all within a bordure or.

Bonnétable (Sarthe): Azure three garbs argent and
a chief gules.

La Ferté-Bernard (Sarthe): Gules a lion passant or
and a chief azure.

La Flèche (Sarthe): quarterly, 1 and 4 vert a bend
or, 2 and 3 or on a pale gules an arrow argent between two towers of the
second; on a chief France modern, supported (soutenu) by a divise argent.

Mamers (Sarthe): per fess azure on a semy of fleurs-de-lys
a lion or and argent a lion passant guardant sable.

Saint-Calais (Sarthe): Azure three calabashs (calebasses)
or.

Possibly canting arms. Calabashes were also suspended from piglrims's
staffs and served as water-bottles.

Chambéry
(Savoie): Gules a cross and in dexter chief a five-pointed star argent.

The cross recalls the arms of Savoie, whose capital it was.

Moûtiers (Savoie): per pale gules two keys per saltire
interlaced argent, and or a two-headed eagle displayed sable, armed and
beaked or.

Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne (Savoie): Azure a hand dexter making
the sign of blessing argent.

Paris (Seine): gules on a river a lymphad
argent, on a chief France ancient.

The ship appears on a 1210 seal, and was the emblem of the corporation
of shippers who traded between the city and the sea along the Seine river.
The banner from the ship's mast has a semy-de-lys on a 1366 seal, the field
behind the ship is a semy-de-lys on a 1406 seal, and the chief actually
appears on a 1426 seal. The arms were defined by decree of Feb. 17, 1921.

Motto: nutrisco et extinguo. The city was founded by François
I. The canton was granted by Albert I of Belgium to thank the city for
its hospitality in 1914-18. Legion of Honor and Croix de Guerre 39-45 in
1949.

Lillebonne (Seine-Mar): Gules two bars or.

Longueville (Seine-Mar): France differenced by a label and
a bendlet couped argent.

Arms of the Longueville family, illegitimate branch of the Orléans
(to honor the founder of the family, Jean Dunois, for his valour in the
Hundred Years War, the bendlet sinister was changed to a bendlet).

Fontainebleau (Seine-et-Marne): per fess
or an Imperial eagle sable and argent a salamander on flames gules, on
a fess azure a river argent, on a canton azure the letter N beneath a star
or.

The salamander was François I's badge, the eagle was granted
by Napoleon, as was the canton of the cities of 2nd class of the Empire.
The river alludes to the source which gave its name to the town ("fontaine
belle").

La Ferté-sous-Jouarre (Seine-et-Marne):Azure on a
semy of fleurs-de-lys a lion passant or.

Arms in DHP.

Lagny (Seine-et-Marne): Azure the letter L and a nail beneath
a royal crown all or.

Meaux (Seine-et-Marne): per pale vert and gules over all
a capital letter M, on a chief France ancient.

Arms in DHP; the letter is called "à l'antique".

Montereau-Faut-Yonne (Seine-et-Marne): Azure three towers
argent.

Nemours (Seine-et-Marne): Argent on a mount a forest vert,
on a chief azure a semy-de-lys or and a label argent.

Arms in DHP.

Provins (Seine-et-Marne): Azure a castle of three towers
with a dungeon within argent masoned sable, on the port a lion sable.

Arms in DHP. The arms show the Grosse-Tour, a 12th c. dungeon.

Melun (Seine-et-Marne): Azure
on a semy-de-lys or a castle with three towers argent.

Melun was one of the original strongholds of the royal domain. Motto:
fida muris usque ad mures, recalling the siege of 1420 when inhabitants
had to eat rats.

Niort (Deux-Sèvres):
Azure a semy-de-lys or, on a river in base a tower argent, the port
and windows sable.

The tower recalls the dungeon of Niort, built in 1158 by Henry II Plantagenet.
The semy is a grant of Charles V. The supporters, adopted in the 17th c.,
are two "savages" of Canada.

Bressuire (Deux-Sèvres): Argent an eagle sable.

Melle (Deux-Sèvres): Azure two coins of Louis the
Pious minted in Melle, one showing the obverse and the other the reverse,
and in base a coin of Charlemagne showing the imperial monogram, all argent.

Saint-Maixent (Deux-Sèvres): Gules a royal crown or,
on a chief France modern.

Thouars (Deux-Sèvres): Argent three clusters of grape
azure.

Amiens (Somme):
Gules an ivy branch covering the field argent, on a chief France ancient.

The ivy branch was originally a diapered field. It is also said to
come from the arms of d'Ailly who were vidames of Amiens (instead of ivy,
it would be an "alisier" or service-tree). The chief is seen
on a seal of 1447.

Abbeville (Somme): or three bends azure within a bordure
gules, on a chief France modern.

The three bends and bordure are the arms of the county of Ponthieu,
whose capital was Abbeville; they first appear on a seal of 1217. the chief
was granted June 19, 1363.

Ailly (Somme): Gules two branches of the service-tree (alisier)
in saltire argent, a chief chequy azure and argent.

Canting arms (see Amiens).

Albert, olim Ancre (Somme): Barry of ten argent and gules.

On a seal of 1277. The town took the name of Albert after being
given to the Albert de Luynes family in the 17th century.

Corbie (Somme): Or a crozier azure between two keys gules,
wards toward the flanks, in base a crow sable over the staff of the crozier.

A 1228 seal shows a crow, a canting device ("corbeau" = crow).
The crozier alludes to the local abbey whose abbots were lords of Corbie
for centuries. Croix de guerre 1914-18.

Crécy (Somme): Azure three crescents interlaced or.

A rather unpleasant name in French history (1346).

Doullens (Somme): France ancient over all an escutcheon bearing
argent a cross gules.

Montdidier (Somme): Azure on a semy-de-lys or a tower with
a turret argent, the port gules.

These arms on a seal of 1424. Motto: Cultissima. Legion of
Honor and Croix de guerre 1914-18.

Nesle (Somme): Gules on a semy of trefoils two "chabauds"
(chabots? A fish, either mullet or sculpin) addorsed or.

Péronne (Somme): Azure the letter P, the foot
crossed and forky, beneath a crown
and between three fleurs-de-lys or.

14th c. seals of the city have a fleur-de-lys flory on the reverse.
The Legion of Honor was granted to the city in memory of its victorious
resistance to a siege of 1536, for which it had also been given the croix
des mayeurs in 1537. Croix de guerre 1914-18.

Roye (Somme): Gules a bend argent on a chief France modern.

Arms of the lords of Roye, an old Picard family whose inheritance
passed to the Condé. 14th c. seals have a lion. Croix de guerre 1914-18 and 1939-45.

Saint-Valery-sur-Somme (Somme): Azure on a sea argent a lighter
boat or, on a chief France modern within a bordure gobony argent and gules.

Capital of the Vimeu, part of the Ponthieu.
The chief probably recalls the period when the county of Ponthieu
belonged to the duke of Burgundy (1435-82).

Albi
(Tarn): Gules a gate with two ports argent, on its battlements a lion
passant guardant in front of an archiepiscopal cross or, in chief a sun
of the third and a moon of the second. Motto: Stat baculus, vigilatque
leo turresque tuetur.

On a seal of the 13th c.: the tower, sun and moon and a crozier instead
of the cross on the obverse, the lion on the reverse. The crozier or cross
recalls the temporal powers of the archbishops-counts of Albi.

The castle appears on the obverse and the cross on the reverse of a
1244 seal.

Caussade (Tarn-et-Garonne): Gules a tower with conical roof
and a hose argent, on a chief France.

The tower and hose and a fleur-de-lys appear on a seal of 1308. Hose
is "chausse" in French, a canting charge.

Caylus (Tarn-et-Garonne): Gules three towers linked by a
wall beneath a cross bottony or, on a chief France modern.

A seal of 1243 shows a pike or lucy (lucius in Latin, Caylus derived
from Castrum Lucii). A seal of 1309 shows the castle with the pike.

Moissac (Tarn-et-Garonne): Vert a column or on which climbs
a vine argent fructed gules, on two cantons azure in dexter and sinister
chief the letters R and F respectively or.

Molières (Tarn-et-Garonne):

14th c. seal with per pale France and three castles.

Pontoise (Val-d'Oise):
Azure on a base ver a round bridge of five arches argent masoned sable,
the openings of the arched gules, thereon a castle embattled thereon three
towers embattled also argent masoned sable, between two fleurs-de-lys or.

Motto: Unguibus et rostro. Arms granted in 1342 by Pope Clement
VI. The keys and tinctures recall the arms of the Papacy,
which resided in Avignon from 1309 to 1377 and which owned the city from
1348 to 1790. The earlier arms (supposedly since 1154, appearing on a seal
of 1216) showed two gerfalcons; they were retained as supporters (on a
1504 seal).

Apt (Vaucluse): Gules a sword or per pale in its scabbard,
the hilt and belt sable, the chape of the second.

Motto: faelicibus apta triumphis. On a 14th c. seal.

Aubignan (Vaucluse): Argent a battle-axe and a fasces gules
per saltire.

Arms in DCV.

Aurel (Vaucluse):

Arms in DCV.

Carpentras (Vaucluse): Gules a manage-bit argent.

On a 14th century seal.

Cavaillon (Vaucluse): Azure a tower surmounted by a turret
with conical roof and a tower argent on a point vert.

Orange (Vaucluse): Azure an orange-tree branch vert with
three fruits or, on a chief of the last a bugle horn azure stringed gules.

Canting arms. Chief of the counts of Orange.

Pertuis (Vaucluse): Or on a fleur-de-lys azure a fess gules.

Arms granted by Charles VIII in 1493.

Richerenches (Vaucluse):

Arms in DCV.

Sorgues sur l'Ouveze (Vaucluse): Azure over a river wavy
argent and vert a bridge of three arches argent masoned sable thereon
a cross of the second.

Arms in DCV.

Valréas (Vaucluse): Azure two keys per saltire addorsed
argent, the wards bound by a riband of the same.

The town was part of the Comtat-Venaissin which belonged to the Popes.

La Roche-sur-Yon
(Vendée): Gules on a mount vert a cluster of houses around a
church all argent, in chief two hands clasping or, on a canton azure in
dexter chief a star or.

Arms of 1869. The town was founded by Napoleon I in 1804, and was called
Napoléon-Vendée from 1804 to 1814 and 1852 to 1870, and Bourbon-Vendée
from 1814 ro 1848. It was given its present name in 1870. The canton is
that of cities of the Empire.

Chantonnay (Vendée): Azure a garb argent.

Fontenay-le-Comte (Vendée): per bend argent and sable
a fountain or.

Canting arms.

Luçon (Vendée): gules a lucy haurient argent.

Canting arms.

Poitiers (Vienne):
or a lion sable withina bordure of the last bezanty, on a chief France
modern.

These arms appear on a 1386 seal. Except for the chief of France, they
are identical to the arms born on his seal by Richard, earl of Cornwall
(† 1272), brother of Henry III of England and earl of Poitou (a territory
he took only briefly from the French in 1225-27 and 1241-42).

Châtellerault (Vienne): or a lion gules within a bordure
sable bezanty or.

See the remark concerning Poitiers.

Loudun (Vienne): sable a wolf rampant argent.

Canting arms ("loup" = wolf, the final p being silent).

Mirebeau (Vienne):

A pale between 12 lozenges on a seal of the 15th c.

Montmorillon (Vienne): Or an eagle displayed gules.

Épinal
(Vosges): Gules a tower between two battle-axes, the sinister one reversed,
the blades toward the tower, all argent.

The tower appears between two fleurs-de-lys on a 1295 seal.

Bruyères (Vosges): Azure on a mound a tower between
a house and a church, beneath three stars in chief all argent.

Gérardmer (Vosges): Vert a stag passant or.

Mirecourt (Vosges): Azure a bend or on a canton gules in
chief sinister the letter N beneath a star argent.

The canton was the mark of cities of 3d class under Napoleon I.

Neufchâteau (Vosges): Argent on a bend gules three
towers per bend or..

Plombières-les-Bains (Vosges): or on a bend gules
three eagles argent, over all a label argent.

The arms of Lorraine differenced.

a(Vosges): Argent a cross of Lorraine between two crescents gules,
on the cross the letterss I and R or, hanging from the top of the cross
a cross of the Legion of Honor proper.

The Legion of Honor was added to the arms by decree of April 19, 1896
in honor of the resistance to the German invasion in 1870.Croix de Guerre
1914-1918 et 1939-1945.

Remiremont (Vosges): Gules two keys per saltire or.

The town belonged to a powerful abbey whose abbess was princess of
the Empire.

Saint-Dié (Vosges): Azure a cross patriarchal between
the letters S and D or, all tied by a riband gules.

Auxerre (Yonne):
Azure on a billety a lion or.

Arms of the counts of Nevers, granted in 1223 by Mathilda I.

Avallon (Yonne): Azure a tower argent.

Sens (Yonne): Azure on a semy-de-lys or a tower argent port,
windows and masoned sable.

Tonnerre (Yonne): Gules a bend or.

Arms in DHP.

Villeneuve-sur-Yonne (Yonne): Azure over water in base three
towers argent pors, windows and masoned sable over each a fleur-de-lys
argent.

Versailles (Yvelines):
Azure three fleurs-de-lys or on a chief argent a double-headed cock
proper.

Arms adopted on September 15, 1789.

Le Vésinet (Yvelines): Gules a horn or stringed argent,
on a chief azure a daisy argent slipped vert between two oak leaves of
the last.

A 1228 seal shows five twigs of mint (canting arms: "menthe"
= mint). A 1307 seal shows the dimidiated fleur-de-lys and mint twigs.
The latter may have been later misread as an oak tree.

Poissy (Yvelines): Azure a fish argent between two fleurs-de-lys
in chief and in base and a demi-fleur-de-lys issuant from dexter flank.

Canting arms ("poisson" = fish). Two fishes appear on a 1276
seal, a fish and a fleur-de-lys on a 1308 seal.

Rambouillet (Yvelines): per pale, sable a saltire dimidiated
argent, and tierced per fess or a stag statant proper, gules a ram statant
or, and argent on a mount a tree vert; over all on a hurt a fleur-de-lys
or.

Saint-Germain-en-Laye (Yvelines): Azure a crib beneath a
fleur-de-lys or and in base the date 5 7BRE 1638 argent.